Codex Festival in Noto: Third Weekend Programme
The 2026 Codex Festival in Noto continues with its third weekend of events. From 30 September to 3 October, the Tina Di Lorenzo Theatre will host theatre performances, events for children and teenagers, performance poetry, electronic music and discussions about local communities.
The programme includes Antigone – Exercises in Democracy, The Divine Comedy Told to Children, a Poetry Slam with Renata Prado and Giovanni Arezzo, the discussion Connections Between the Centre and the Periphery, the staged reading Amarene, a concert by Sutartronica and the performance La classe.
Wednesday 30 September: Antigone – Exercises in Democracy
The third weekend of Codex Festival opens on Wednesday 30 September with Antigone – Exercises in Democracy, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the Tina Di Lorenzo Theatre.
Produced by IAC Centro Arti Integrate, the performance features Nadia Casamassima, with direction by Andrea Santantonio and illustrations by Vincenzo Suscetta.
The audience listens to the story of Antigone, but at a certain point its members are invited to take part and make decisions. The spectators become the Chorus and can choose whether to help Antigone bury her brother or support Creon.
This participatory theatre experience encourages reflection on power, individual and collective responsibility, and the importance of deciding where we stand.
The performance is recommended for audiences aged 15 and over and lasts approximately 70 minutes.
Thursday 1 October: The Divine Comedy Told to Children
On Thursday 1 October, at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., the Tina Di Lorenzo Theatre presents The Divine Comedy Told to Children.
This shadow-theatre performance, created using an overhead projector, is curated by Laura Nardi and features images by Laura Cortini.
The Divine Comedy becomes a great fairy tale exploring justice, the difference between good and evil, and the immortality of the soul. Images projected onto a large screen accompany the narrator’s voice through Dante’s journey.
Children and adults are involved through sounds, actions and playful moments of interpretation. The performance is suitable for audiences aged 5 to 15 and lasts 70 minutes.
Thursday 1 October: Poetry Slam
Thursday’s programme concludes at 9:00 p.m. with a Poetry Slam featuring Renata Prado and Giovanni Arezzo.
Renata Prado is a cultural organiser, booking manager and poetry slammer active in Italy’s independent cultural scene. Her writing combines travel, transformation, activism and resistance.
Giovanni Arezzo is an actor, playwright, rapper and performance poet. Under the stage name Soulcè, he has developed an artistic career combining theatre, poetry and music.
Friday 2 October: Connections Between the Centre and the Periphery
On Friday 2 October at 10:00 a.m., the programme continues with Connections Between the Centre and the Periphery, a discussion with free admission.
The event is promoted by Meraki Testa dell’Acqua, Codex Festival and the Tina Di Lorenzo Theatre. It brings together experiences, practices and ideas capable of connecting local areas with national and international networks.
Through a round-table discussion, participants will share experiences, identify successful models and imagine new forms of collaboration between cultural organisations, urban centres and peripheral areas.
The event is part of AMARI, the network of rural artistic residencies in the Mediterranean.
Friday 2 October: Amarene
At 9:00 p.m., the programme continues with Amarene, a staged reading by Orazio Condorelli.
This participatory theatre experience encourages the audience to reflect on their relationship with the places where they grew up, on the feeling of becoming guests in their own hometown and on the changes caused by tourism.
The performance also raises an important question about Noto’s future: how can the city protect its identity and avoid becoming merely a postcard for tourists?
Friday 2 October: Sutartronica
The evening continues at 10:30 p.m. with a concert by Sutartronica, a Lithuanian music project combining ancient polyphonic folk songs with contemporary electronic music.
The performers are Eglė Jačauskienė, Laurita Peleniūtė, Victor Diawara and Viltė Ambrazaitytė.
The sutartinės are an ancient form of Lithuanian polyphonic music, traditionally performed by female voices and included by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The concert blends vocal harmonies, folk traditions and electronic rhythms to create an original and immersive musical experience.
Saturday 3 October: La classe
The third weekend of Codex Festival concludes on Saturday 3 October at 9:00 p.m. with La classe, directed by Fabiana Iacozzilli.
The cast includes Michela Aiello, Andrei Balan, Antonia D’Amore, Francesco Meloni and Marta Meneghetti.
La classe is a documentary puppet-theatre performance combining puppets and live performers. The adults, represented by wooden figures, revisit childhood memories from the Suore di Carità primary school and their experiences with Sister Lidia.
Past and present meet in a performance exploring fear, discipline, authority and childhood curiosity. Memory becomes theatre, revealing how childhood experiences contribute to shaping our perception of the world.
The performance lasts 55 minutes.
Where does the third weekend of Codex Festival take place?
All events scheduled from 30 September to 3 October will take place at the Tina Di Lorenzo Theatre in Noto, located in the city’s historic centre.
Which performances are suitable for children and teenagers?
The Divine Comedy Told to Children is recommended for audiences aged 5 to 15. Antigone – Exercises in Democracy is suitable for teenagers and adults aged 15 and over.
Which event is free?
The discussion Connections Between the Centre and the Periphery, scheduled for Friday 2 October at 10:00 a.m., is free to attend.
Codex Festival programme in Noto: 30 September–3 October
Wednesday 30 September, 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.: Antigone – Exercises in Democracy
Thursday 1 October, 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.: The Divine Comedy Told to Children
Thursday 1 October, 9:00 p.m.: Poetry Slam with Renata Prado and Giovanni Arezzo
Friday 2 October, 10:00 a.m.: Connections Between the Centre and the Periphery
Friday 2 October, 9:00 p.m.: Amarene
Friday 2 October, 10:30 p.m.: Sutartronica
Saturday 3 October, 9:00 p.m.: La classe
